RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY: INDIA

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has revised and raised the renewable energy potential for India to an estimated 900 GW. Solar is seen to have the largest potential, with a revised estimate of 750 GW (taking into consideration use of 3% wasteland for solar installations), followed by wind with 102 GW (at 80 m mast height); the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has revised the estimate for wind power to 302 GW at 100 m mast height. Potential for small hydro and bio-energy is 20 GW and 25 GW, respectively.

INSTALLED CAPACITY OF RENEWABLES: TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

In the 2015 Union Budget, the Government of India set the target of achieving 175 GW of RE by 2022. The target comprises 60 GW from wind, 100 GW from solar, 10 GW from biomass, and 5 GW from small hydro. Out of 100 GW solar, 40 GW is estimated to come from rooftop solar while the remaining 60 GW is anticipated from ground-mounted, grid-connected medium and large solar projects. If the target of 175 GW by 2022 is achieved, it would contribute to 19.44% of the total RE potential of 900 GW and about 20.3% of electricity in the total demand. This would mean the generation of around 327 BU of electricity (162 BU from solar, 112 BU from wind, 38 BU from biomass, and 15 BU from SHP).

The southern, western, and northern regions of India are expected to install more than 91% of the total target while the remainder is expected to be contributed by the north-eastern and eastern regions. Maharashtra has the highest target of 22 GW followed by Tamil Nadu with 21.5 GW.

From 57 GW in 2016-17, the total installed grid-connected renewable energy capacity reached 78 GW at the end of 2018-19. Figure 1 provides the growth trajectory of annual capacity addition and a cumulative installed capacity of RE for the period 2012-13 to 2018-19. In 2018 - 19, RE contributed 21.8% of the total installed power generation capacity in the country. Of this, the share of wind was 35.6 GW (10%), followed by solar with 28 GW (7.9%), small hydro with 4.59 GW (1.29%), biomass and co-generation with 9 GW (2.56%) and waste-to-energy with 0.13 GW (0.04%) (Tables 1 and Table 2).

Figure 1: Annual Capacity Addition and Cumulative Installed Capacity of Grid-Connected RE (2012 - 2019)

 Source: WISE, 2019 (compiled from MNRE, CEA data).

Table 1: Share of Grid-Connected Renewable Energy in Total RE Capacity (as on 31 March 2019)

Source: MNRE, Installed Capacity (March 2019)

Table 2: India Electricity Capacity Mix

Source: CEA and MNRE Installed Capacity (March 2019)

For 2018-19, the capacity addition target of grid-connected power was 15.6 GW. Against this, the actual capacity installed in 2018-19 was 9.2 GW, the technology-wise break-up of which is given in Table 3.

India added 1.5 GW wind capacity in 2018-19, taking the total installed wind capacity to 35 GW. Maximum capacity addition is seen in the states of Tamil Nadu (8968 MW) and Gujarat (6073 MW).

Table 3: Capacity Addition in 2018-19 (Grid Power Only)

Source: WISE, 2019 (compiled from CEA data).

With the installation of 5.7 GW solar power in 2018-19, the cumulative installed capacity of solar reached 28 GW. This was a quantum jump over the previous year. The leading solar power states in India (in terms of installed capacity that year), are Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. During the next three years, 72 GW capacity will have to be installed to achieve the 100 GW target by 2022.

INSTALLED CAPACITY MIX

India is the world’s third largest producer of electricity having a total installed capacity of 356 GW (3, 56,100 MW). Of this, around 64% is from thermal energy (54.60 % from coal, 7% from gas and 0.2% from diesel), 2% from nuclear power, 13% from large hydro, and 21.8 % from renewables (wind, solar, biomass, waste-to-energy) (Figure 2 and Table 2).

For the first time in 2016 - 17, renewable capacity addition at 11.3 GW exceeded that of conventional energy, and the trend continued in 2018 - 19 with capacity addition at 8.6 GW. The movement in annual capacity addition of both energies in the last four years is shown in Figure 3.

 Figure 2: Source-wise Installed Capacity (March 2019)

Source: CEA, Installed Capacity (March 2019)

Figure 3: Capacity Addition of Conventional Energy and RE (2012 - 13 to 20178- 19)

Source: WISE, 2019 (compiled from Ministry of Power and CEA data).

OFF-GRID RENEWABLE POWER

As per MNRE data, in 2018-19, around 17.5 lakh home lighting systems were installed, while renewable energy- based stand-alone power installed capacity was about 212 MWp. State/UT- wise status is given in Table 4.

Like grid-connected RE, a major leap in installations was also seen in the off-grid sector. With the rapid decline in costs of off-grid RE systems coupled with an increased level of awareness among the rural masses, private and self- sponsored off-grid RE system installations grew due to market economics. During the year,the solar systems of capacity 244.2 MW which includes solar study lamps, solar home lights, solar street lights, solar pumps, mini/micro grids and Power plants installed across India.

Table 4: State/UT-wise Status of Off-grid Renewable Energy Systems (as on 31 March 2019)

 Source: MNRE, Annual Report 2018-2019.

Source: WISE, 2019